The Obama Administration is not the first administration to appoint someone with broad powers to oversee a function. You know. A “czar.”
Previously, we’ve had Drug Czars, Energy Czars, and so on. But, Barack Obama has gone Czar crazy.
As best as I can tell, here are Obama’s czars:
- Af-Pak (Afghanistan-Pakistan) Czar: Richard Holbrooke
- Bailout Czar: Herb Allison
- Border Czar: Alan Bersin
- Car Czar: Steven Rattner
- Climate Czar: Todd Stern
- Cyber Security Czar: vacant
- Drug Czar: Gil Kerlikowske
- Economic Czar: vacant
- Energy Czar: Carol M. Browner
- Faith-based Czar: Joshua DuBois
- Great Lakes Cleanup Czar: Cameron Davis
- Green Jobs Czar: Van Jones
- Guantanamo Closure Czar: Daniel Fried
- Health Reform Czar: Nancy-Ann DeParle
- Health Infotech Czar: David Blumenthal
- Middle East Czar: George Mitchell
- Non-Proliferation (WMD) Czar: Gary Samore
- Pay (Compensation) Czar: Kenneth Feinberg
- Persian Gulf & Southwest Asia Czar: Dennis Ross
- Regulatory Czar: Cass Sunstein
- Science Czar: John Holdren
- Stimulus Accountability Czar: Earl Devaney
- Sudan Czar: Scott Gration
- TARP Czar: Elizabeth Warren
- Technology Czar: Vivek Kundra
- Terrorism Czar: John Brennan
- Urban Czar: Aldolfo Carrion, Jr.
There are more czars in the Obama Administration than there are in the Russian section of Hell.
Of course, Obama being a leftist and all, likes big government. So, there’s no surprise that he’s appointing folks left and … left … to oversee all kinds of topics. And, most of these don’t have any kind of Congressional oversight.
You’ve heard of Congressional oversight, haven’t you? Part of the whole “checks and balances” thing that the Constitution sets up. Keeps one branch of the government from getting bigger than the other branches.
On the other hand, maybe this is actually a good thing. I mean, Congress hasn’t done anything useful in years. When the Republicans controlled Congress for most of Bush’s terms, they acted like Democrats and spent your and my money like crazy. Only, not quite as bad as the current Congress.
The Supreme Court has been 4-1/2 to 4-1/2 for some time: four activist vs four Constitutionalists, with one in-between (Kennedy). The new Justice, whether Sotomayor (who’s qualified, except for having no qualifications) or whatever stark-raving liberal Obama nominates instead, will take a liberal’s spot, so it remains 4-1/2 to 4-1/2.
With neither of the other branches doing anything useful, why shouldn’t the Executive Branch increase its power?
Other than the fact that the Executive Branch is run by a bunch of big government socialists who think your money is there’s.
So, why stop at 25-30 czars? Why not appoint a bunch more:
- Gaffe Czar: Joe Biden. Sure, he’s vice-president, but he’s already doing the job of Gaffe Czar; why not make it official?
- News Czar: Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf. You knew him as “Baghdad Bob.” He’d fit right in with this Administration. And it would give Robert Gibbs a break from having to make up explanations for things all by himself.
- Anti-semitism Czar: Jeremiah Wright. He’s already promoting anti-semitism as much as anyone is this country. This would give him a larger platform.
- Fashion Czar: Michelle Obama. Remember Jackie Kennedy? Michelle Obama is equally qualified. Except for having poor taste in clothes. And men.
The list could go on and on.
It’s going to be an interesting four years.